After hearing the mechanism officer’s words, Daniel went to the nearby city of Erecestiom and sought a way to contact the General Staff Headquarters.
There was a radio operator in the company, but due to the limited range of radio waves, there was no choice but to use the city’s communication network.
Fortunately, Daniel was recognized by the mayor of Erecestiom when he visited the city hall, allowing him to borrow a phone without much difficulty.
Through the phone, Daniel contacted the General Staff Headquarters, explained the situation, and was granted permission to stay for a certain period in response to his explanation.
Upon hearing this, Daniel outwardly displayed an atmosphere of disappointment and despair but inwardly rejoiced.
‘I get to rest a few more days!’
The frontline and the afterlife were places that were better to approach the later, after all.
‘What should I do to proudly say I enjoyed my time…?’
While Daniel was thinking of entertainments as he left city hall, Lucy interjected.
“Colonel, if you don’t mind, I’d like to spend the day with you.”
Daniel’s body stiffened as he was wearing a subtle smile.
To Daniel, who wanted to spend some time leisurely by himself, ‘Lieutenant Lucy,’ the UN spy, wasn’t a very welcome presence.
“Aide-de-camp? Spending time with a superior officer isn’t exactly enjoyable.”
Despite Daniel’s attempt to shake her off, Lucy was resolute.
“Nevertheless, I’d like to stay with you.”
With no further excuse to refuse, Daniel reluctantly nodded.
“Let’s resolve the meal issue first, then.”
Daniel took Lucy to a nearby restaurant (recommended by the mayor) and, after eating a steak, tried to part ways with Lucy, casually mentioning he had something else to do nearby.
“Colonel? Don’t lie.”
However, Lucy was annoyingly persistent today, leaving Daniel no choice but to stay with her.
Eventually, Daniel had no choice but to bring Lucy along to a dessert shop (also recommended by the mayor).
An employee approached Daniel and Lucy, who were seated by the window in the cozy shop.
“Here is the ordered Begenheim wine and tiramisu.”
The employee placed the plate with the tiramisu and a glass of wine on the table.
As the employee poured the wine, Lucy tilted her head, looking at the dessert she had never seen before.
“What is this…?”
“It’s one of the famous desserts in Erecestiom. Known for its warm and humid environment, Erecestiom is famous for producing creamy yet light cheese. The tiramisu made with this cheese truly boasts an outstanding taste.”
Upon hearing Daniel’s explanation, Lucy swallowed audibly.
Delighted by her reaction, Daniel extended his explanation, raising a finger.
“Additionally, Begenheim wine is a fortified wine produced in the southern region of the Eldreshia Kingdom. Its unique caramel aroma is its defining feature, making it the perfect pairing for tiramisu. However, it has a high alcohol content, so drinking too much at once is not recommended.”
The employee, who had been listening, finished pouring the wine and smiled at Daniel.
“Exactly what you said. There was no need for me to provide additional explanations.”
“Thank you for the compliment. I just have a casual understanding.”
“I’d say you know more than my husband does.”
“If I were in your position, I would study such things to win the heart of such an elegant lady.”
“My, how can a military officer speak so sweetly?”
The employee chuckled gently, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Ahem. I’ve said too much. I hope you have a pleasant time.”
After the employee bowed her head and left, Lucy stared intently at Daniel.
As Daniel prepared to eat the tiramisu, he noticed Lucy’s gaze and felt perplexed.
“…Why? Isn’t this the way to increase the chances of good service?”
“Is that really the only reason?”
“Officer. Stop looking at me like I’m a strange person. I don’t mess with people who are already taken. Besides, I swear to God that my history with women is as clean as a blank sheet.”
Lucy shook her head, thinking of mentioning someone but decided against it.
She didn’t want to ruin the mood.
As Lucy considered this, Daniel cut the tiramisu with his knife and put it into his mouth.
The soft, sweet taste spread throughout his mouth.
“Hmm! That’s it. This is the taste. Officer, you should try it too. You’ll be surprised.”
Lucy decided to indulge him once despite noticing his exaggeration.
She cut the tiramisu with her knife, speared it with a fork, and cautiously took a bite.
“…!”
She was involuntarily taken aback.
The violently soft texture and the peripheral sweetness were numbing her brain.
Beyond being just impressed—it made her body tingle and almost cry out.
As Lucy swallowed the tiramisu, she opened her mouth slightly in awe.
After she briefly spaced out, Lucy lifted her glass and took a sip of the wine, only to be immediately captivated.
‘Ah…!’
The caramel aroma gently enveloped the cream left in her mouth, and the two danced together.
Then, the wine’s acidity cleaned the sweetness and demanded another bite of tiramisu!
It was a hostage drama unfolding perfectly in her mind.
“Is my recommendation good…?”
Daniel, with his hands on the table and his chin resting on them, arrogantly asked.
Much as she didn’t want to admit it, lying would be an insult to the dessert before her.
Avoiding Daniel’s gaze, Lucy reluctantly conceded her defeat.
“It’s… delicious.”
Only then did Daniel flash a playful smile and relax his posture.
“Then, help yourself. I won’t disturb you. If you’d like, you can eat mine too.”
Though tempted, Lucy felt a certain frustration and clenched her teeth.
“I don’t want to eat the Colonel’s portion…”
As Lucy tried to refuse, her shoulders suddenly trembled.
She could feel someone’s persistent gaze.
Calmly holding the napkin to her lips, Lucy subtly wiped her mouth and scanned the interior of the shop reflected in the window.
In that moment, she spotted a man who had been watching them and abruptly turned away.
‘I was right…’
Sure enough, Daniel was being monitored.
And the fact that he was being watched in an unfamiliar city meant one thing.
An assassination attempt.
After leaving the dessert shop, Daniel entered the largest hotel in the city (also recommended by the mayor).
The issue was that Lucy had followed him all the way to the hotel.
While Daniel felt uneasy internally, he approached the hotel’s receptionist without showing much dissatisfaction.
The receptionist recognized Daniel and offered a polite smile.
“You’re Colonel Daniel Steiner, correct? The mayor has informed us of your arrival. And who is this?”
Before Daniel could reply, Lucy took the initiative.
“I’m Lieutenant Lucy Emilia, the direct aide-de-camp to Staff Officer Colonel Daniel Steiner, who has been assigned to the Eastern Front’s 7th Division.”
“I see. Then, after verifying your identity, we will arrange another room for you….”
“The same room, please.”
“Excuse me?”
Both the receptionist and Daniel were taken aback by Lucy’s statement.
The same room? For two people who had just finished dining and drinking together? Were they lovers?
Confused, the receptionist glanced at Daniel, who turned to Lucy.
“Aide? The same room? There seems to be some kind of misunderstanding…”
“It’s no mistake. I must share the same room with Colonel Daniel.”
Lucy’s mind was consumed by the thought of protecting Daniel.
Close supervision 24 hours a day was essential for VIP security.
Hence, she didn’t find it strange for a man and a woman who had shared a meal and drinks to stay in the same room.
From Daniel’s perspective, however, completely unaware that he was at risk of assassination, Lucy’s words and actions seemed anything but normal.
After pondering for a while why Lucy was behaving this way today, Daniel came up with one possible reason.
‘…Perhaps it’s part of a beauty strategy.’
Refusal at this moment could make Lucy think he wasn’t falling for her plan, leading to unpredictable consequences.
Realizing that rejecting her might not be the best course of action, Daniel wiped his face with his hand.
“It’s apparently no misunderstanding…”
Then Daniel turned to the receptionist with an awkward smile.
“It seems I’ll have to sleep with my aide-de-camp. Please give us the same room.”
“Wolf has entered the Lampremph Hotel. And there’s a woman with him, looks like a lover.”
Billbocel, pretending to read a newspaper while sitting on a bench in front of the hotel, whispered into his radio.
As soon as he released the send button, a reply came back.
─ Confirmed. We’ll carry out the operation tomorrow, so prepare accordingly. Don’t make rash moves.
Hearing the radio’s response, Billbocel smirked.
‘It’s ridiculous to have me wait until tomorrow to off an unprotected target.’
In Billbocel’s eyes, this was absurd.
‘A bunch of cowardly morons. Daniel Steiner will die today, not tomorrow.’
Billbocel’s bravado was not unfounded.
He was a specialized assassination expert among intelligence operatives.
The number of people he’d killed was over a hundred, including even neuro-accelerator users.
This allowed Billbocel to boast as the second-best within the ranks of United Nations intelligence operatives.
The only one he acknowledged as first was the mysterious agent known as “Code Name: Red Sands.”
Only this person had killed more people than him.
In other words, outside of Red Sands, all the other agents were, in Billbocel’s eyes, nothing more than useless trash.
No matter how great their abilities may be, lack of real combat experience rendered it meaningless.
‘Even those who boast of their skills ultimately end up begging me for their lives. Daniel Steiner will be no different.’
Billbocel gave a sinister grin and pulled out a dagger from his coat.
The sleek blade reflected his sinister appearance akin to a corpse.
‘Now that I think about it, the woman he was with was rather pretty…’
Billbocel licked his lips.
‘I wonder what kind of voice she’ll cry out with before she dies…’
Tucking the dagger back into his coat, Billbocel chuckled softly as he headed toward the hotel.
He thought tonight would be a good night for hunting.
